As a color printer using an electrophotographic method, an LED exposure type color printer has been conventionally well known in the art. One such LED exposure type color printer includes four photosensitive drums for colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, and four LED exposure units for exposing the corresponding photosensitive drums.
In the LED exposure type color printer, it is required to dispose the LED units adjacent to the corresponding photosensitive drums in order for the photosensitive drums to be exposed by the respective LED units.
Because the LED units are disposed adjacent to the photosensitive drums, the LED units need to be moved away from the photosensitive drums when the photosensitive drums are replaced. For this reason, a mechanism for bringing the LED units close to the corresponding photosensitive drums and moving the LED units away from the corresponding photosensitive drums is required.
A proposal has been made that one such color printer provided with the above-described mechanism includes a main casing having a top cover, a plurality of process units each including a photosensitive drum, and a plurality of LED units for exposing the photosensitive drums. The LED units are connected to the top cover formed on the top of the main casing. In response to open and closure movements of the top cover, the LED units are moved between an exposure position in which the LED units expose the corresponding photosensitive drums and a retracted position in which the LED units are moved upward away from the corresponding photosensitive drums.
Further, another printer including a main casing on which a flatbed scanner is provided, a drum unit having a plurality of photosensitive drums, and a plurality of LED units for exposing the photosensitive drums has been proposed. In this printer, in response to open and closure movements of a front cover provided at a front wall of the main casing, the LED units approach the corresponding photosensitive drums and are moved upward away from the corresponding photosensitive drums.